1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to seating, and particularly seating for use in marine applications.
2. Description of the Related Art
Seating used in marine applications may be subjected to conditions substantially different from seating used in traditional applications. As a result, different considerations must be taken into account when creating marine seating. For example, unlike seating for a home or office, seating used in a marine application, such as on a pontoon boat, often encounters substantial amounts of water and, as a result, is made to withstand the same. Additionally, to provide flexibility to the manufacturer, such as a manufacturer of boats, marine seating may be designed to be modular.
Modular marine seating consists of various, individual components, such as sections of a bench seat, which can be arranged according to each manufacturer's specifications. For example, a marine bench seat may be formed from two, individual components which can be joined together on the deck of a pontoon boat. Each of the individual, modular components includes a seating frame upon which the seating surface is formed. The seating frame is rectangular and has four walls of equal height, e.g., a front wall, a back wall, and two connecting side walls. Cushioning material, such as foam, is then placed atop or within the walls of the seating frame to form the seating surface.
When two individual seating components are joined together to form a bench seat, the end walls of the seating frames of the individual seating components are connected together. Due to the height of the end walls being equal to the height of the front and back walls of the seating frame or otherwise protruding upwardly, the end walls form a ridge at the junction between the individual seating components. This ridge is substantial enough to be noticeable to a user seated on or near the junction of the individual seating components. Additionally, if a user moves along the bench seat, i.e., slides down the bench seat, and has to cross between the individual seating components, the user must cross over the ridge formed by the end walls of the seating frame, which may cause discomfort to the user.